Just You and Me
by dellaandperrylover
Summary: A missing moment to TCOT Murdered Madam. What happens when Perry finds out about Della's past?


Title: Just You and Me

MM TCOT Murdered Madam

Author: Lauren

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please, either to the list or to my private email.

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. If they were we would have gotten a heck of a lot more than one little kiss.

Author's Note: Well, here it is late as usual. Since I'm leaving tomorrow to go out of town, and I just got this finished, I didn't take the time to have it beta'd. And since I'm working off about three hours sleep it's probably full of mess ups, please forgive me. On another note… I know I have probably made WAY more out of this storyline than there really was. But (as if most of you haven't figured this out already) I am a bit of a drama queen (as my husband will readily tell those of you who haven't). And I think there always has to be some kind of dramatic back story to everything. So just to warn you this is corny, and mushy, and sappy all thrown together with a little drama and topped with a little 'sexy'. Hope y'all like it…

After Perry decides to take Tony's case….

Della stood in the doorway coming from the suite's bedroom. He sat at the desk studying the newspaper clippings on Suzanne Dominico. As she studied the pain-filled grimace on his face she was once again reminded of how much she loved him. Della knew that he had taken this case for her. Sighing, she started towards him. "Here is the information I've gathered so far on Suzanne's business dealings." Perry grunted his thanks without removing his eyes from the papers. She laid her hand on his, gently demanding his attention. Looking up at her, he smiled at the serious look on her face and turned his chair. He placed a hand on either side of her waist and pulled her down to sit on his good leg. Della tenderly ran her fingers through the back of Perry's hair before leaning in to give him a long, loving kiss. "Did you take your pain pills?" she whispered against his lips.

Perry trailed his hand from her waist down over the swell of her hip to rest on her knee. Long, capable fingers lingered just inside the hem of her skirt. Then, as if on their own accord, continued beneath it to rub the smooth silk of her stocking clad thigh. "Yes, Nurse Street," he murmured while his face was buried against her neck, "I took my pills."

Della pulled his face up to hers as their mouths began a gentle exploration of each other; tasting each other with a wordless expression of their love. Her mind was spinning as his strong hand continued its ministrations upon her thigh. She was focused on the shivering sensations that were wracking her body due to his attentions. After a lengthy interlude, Della forced her mind to clear enough for her to remember what she'd wanted to say to him. With her forehead pressed to his and both still breathing heavily, she sighed deeply. "Perry…, I… I wanted to thank you again for taking Tony's case. I know you're in pain even though you won't admit it and I…

"Della... while I don't want you to think that I'm not enjoying your demonstration of gratitude, I want you to know you don't have to thank me. I know how important Tony is to you and I know you couldn't walk away from him right now. And I couldn't stand it if I ever thought I'd disappointed you. And…" he drew out, "I happen to believe that Tony is innocent. You're right. That man didn't kill his wife."

Della placed warm hands on each side of his face. "Thank you," she said before kissing him deeply. Those old familiar stirrings settled into the pit of her stomach once again as she poured all of her love and appreciation into her kisses. When she pulled back Della laid her head on his shoulder and buried her face in his neck; breathing in the familiar scent that was Perry Mason. Perry slowly ran his fingers up and down her spine sending shivers coursing through her.

He nuzzled his face in her hair and softly kissed her ear as he continued to hold her close. "Della, I'm going to call you to testify on Tony's behalf." Perry felt her stiffen somewhat. Slowly, almost too slowly, she lifted her head to look at him.

"Me? Why… why do you want me to testify? What good could that do?"

Perry was a bit surprised by her reaction. "I want to use you as a character witness. I need you to describe the Tony you know in order to counter balance the prosecutor's emphasis on Tony's volatile temper." He watched her reaction closely.

"Oh, okay… if… if you're sure." She smiled brightly hoping he wouldn't notice her hesitancy.

Della Street may have been unreadable to most people but not to Perry Mason. He knew her inside and out. And he could not deny her uneasiness. "Della, is something wrong? Is there something I should know about?"

Della responded quickly. "No, no, of course not." She rubbed a hand back and forth across his chest and smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Darling. Of course I'll testify. I guess I'm just tired."

Taking her hand he pressed it to his lips before trailing his fingers up and down the side of her neck. He still didn't believe her but he decided to let it go for now. "I know you're tired. You've been running yourself ragged trying to take care of me and now worrying about Tony."

Della slowly stood up, "come on Perry. It's time for us to get some sleep."

She began to walk away but he caught her hand and she turned back to him. "Hey! Wait a minute! I thought you were showing me how grateful you are? Is that all I get?"

Della cocked her head and smiled coyly, "for now, Counselor," she then added, "unfortunately." Della gently patted his knee. "You remember what the doctor said about limiting our…uh, activity."

"Damn my knee and damn that doctor," Perry growled as he clambered to his feet. "I have a feeling this knee is going to play hell with my love life."

Della simply chuckled and took his hand, hoping that she herself could be satisfied with falling into a deep sleep in the arms of the man whom she had been sleeping next to for most of her adult life. The man she loved and who she knew loved her just as much.

The day Della testifies…

Della took a deep breath as she made her way to the witness stand. Ever since Perry had asked her to testify she had debated about telling him the whole truth of her connection to Tony and his family. But Della had managed to convince herself that it was a trivial fact. She knew her brief engagement to Tony's uncle didn't change the fact that Perry Mason was the only man she had ever or would ever love. And she really didn't think Reston would cross examine her at all, let alone bring up the subject of her engagement. She should have known better.

Perry sat watching the city of Denver pass through the window. Della was sitting beside him. So far she had been quiet. He knew she was allowing him some time to think. "It was a very long time ago." Isn't that what she'd said? He remembered that he'd closed his eyes momentarily as she'd passed by. He needed to concentrate on the feel of her hand on him and on the sound of her spoken words. He needed to know that she was real and that she was there with him. And now he was trying to discern what is was that he felt. Perry reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"Della, how could you have been so stupid?" she asked herself silently. "You actually managed to convince yourself that Reston wouldn't check in to your background, didn't you? You actually thought he would take your testimony at face value and not bring up your past with Michael. You've been in this business long enough to know that wasn't going to happen. And now Perry found out in the courtroom, in front of an audience, instead of hearing it from you. You should have told him about it long ago. And now that he knows about the engagement you're going to have to tell him the whole truth. After thirty years, you owe him at least that much."

Della stared straight ahead and asked him softly, "are you angry with me?"

He turned to look at her. She was still so beautiful, so kind, and so loving. The very essence of her still took his breath away. With a small smile he assured her, "no, no Darling, I'm not angry." And he wasn't angry. He knew that much. He was a little hurt, not by the relationship itself, but by the fact that she had never told him. More than anything he was confused. He supposed she had her reasons for not telling him. Like she said, she was very young. Perry doubted that it was very serious. She may have thought it just wasn't worth mentioning. Then again, if it really was as trivial as she acted why wouldn't she have casually mentioned it? Perry's gut told him that something had happened, something that may have been affecting them both for the last thirty years and he'd had no idea. They rode in silence the rest of the way to the hotel.

As Perry was opening the door of their suite for her, Della, was still trying to gage his reaction. He'd remained stone faced nearly all afternoon. She'd believed him when he told her he wasn't angry. He didn't seem overly hurt either, confused maybe? Of course he could be unaffected by the revelation of her previous engagement and was just concentrating on the trial. But she didn't think that was the case either. She was still watching him as he took off his suit jacket and removed his tie. Della felt a warmth flood the pit of her stomach as he undid the first few buttons of his dress shirt. Time had not diminished her need for him- and that was the right word too- need. She needed him in every way.

Perry came up behind her and began gently massaging her shoulders. He took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of her, before placing a soft kiss on her temple. "Why don't you go change? I'll call room service and have dinner sent up." She turned to face him and he could see the question in her eyes. "Later, we'll talk about it later," he said, running his hands gently but firmly up and down her arms. She kissed him lightly before turning away.

Dinner was a mixture of companionable silence and discussion about the next day's court session. Finally, once they were finished, Della sighed deeply and looked at him squarely. "Are you ready to talk about it now?"

"Are you?"

Della cast her eyes downward and nodded. When she looked back up he was staring at her. There was no contempt in his gaze nor was there any anger. She could see a little hurt and confusion, but more than anything she saw what she always saw in his eyes, an immense and unending love. Della took a deep breath and began.

"Michael and I met when I was seventeen. He was nineteen." She paused and looked at him frankly. "I was just a schoolgirl who thought she was in love just like so many other girls my age. His family had money. And since he was older and already in college he took me into the city to parties and plays and fancy restaurants. He drove a fancy sports car. All of my friends were envious of me and I thought I was very sophisticated. At the time getting 'engaged' was the thing to do." Della shook her head and laughed. "It was silly now that I think about it. Half the girls I knew were engaged as soon as their eighteenth birthday arrived. Some of them ended up getting married and having a family, but most of them didn't; at least not to the boy they were engaged too.

Anyway, come the morning of my graduation he was standing on my front porch with a ring. And not just a tiny chip of a stone like the other girls had but a full-fledged diamond ring. I accepted and, at first, I was happy and excited. But before long I began asking myself if I was sure. In my mind's eye actual marriage was still very unreal and very far off. But soon Michael started pressuring me to set a date and so, reluctantly, I did, very reluctantly. Soon everyone started talking about wedding plans and house hunting, and I started to panic. I had made plans for myself. I knew I wanted to go to business school. I wanted to learn how to do something; be my own person.

I began to realize that marrying Michael wasn't going to give me the independence that I craved. Then, he started talking about having a family and how he wanted to start as soon as we were married. That was when I really began to panic. It wasn't that I didn't want to have children, eventually, but with him it scared me. He and I had two very different opinions about what my life was going to be like. And eventually I also came to realize that, not only did I not love him, but that most of the time I didn't even like him." Della paused to look at him. She wanted to see in his gaze if he thought her a foolish child, but she saw nothing but understanding. "It was just the experiences he gave me that I had fallen in love with, not him, not him at all. So, about four months after he asked me to marry him I told him…, " Della's voice began to crack, "told him I wasn't… wasn't ready to be a wife or a mother and I gave him back his ring."

Perry studied her for a long moment. He had remained silent throughout her confession so she could get it all out but his eyes had never left hers. On the surface she looked relieved. Relieved to have it off her chest whether she had thought it was important or not. What she'd told him hadn't surprised him. Della had always been a very independent woman and he knew having her future laid out for her by someone else would not have pleased her. He wanted to accept it for what she presented it as; a folly of her youth, a growing experience. However, in her eyes, he could see there was more. It was something that had affected her more than she was letting on, maybe even more than she knew. And whatever affected Della also affected him. They were two halves of a whole.

Della watched him as she tried to judge his reaction. She was trying to determine if he was going to accept what she'd said at face value. Maybe she wouldn't have to tell him everything. Maybe she wouldn't need to hurt him with the realization she had come to today. While sitting in court, she watched him as he went about his defense, knowing her silence was in the back of his mind. Della began to think back to all of their discussions and even their battles about marriage. And for the first time she knew how much of an effect her relationship with Michael had had on her refusal to marry this incredibly wonderful man without her ever having realized it. As she looked at him again she knew, for both their sakes, he needed to know. But before she could begin again he started to speak.

"Della…" She could tell he was hesitant to say what he wanted. "I'm sorry if what I'm about to ask seems like I'm prying. I know what a private person you are. But I feel like I need to ask you this." He took both her hands in his and squeezed them. "You said that eventually you realized you didn't like him or love him, but what else is there? What happened during that 'eventually' to make you feel that way?"

Della knew he could read her like a book. What else did she expect? "Can we move to the couch? We'll both be more comfortable."

"Of course," he replied. She helped him to his feet and positioned him on the couch with his knee propped up. As soon as he was settled Della sat down next to him and Perry pulled her into his embrace.

Turning to look up at him, she wrapped her hand around his upper arm.

She needed to see him as she said this. "Before I start please tell me you know how much I love you. Please tell me you know that you are the only man who has ever owned my heart, my soul, and my body."

He placed a hand on the side of her face and looked at her with an intensity that could only be achieved by those couples who had shared as much of their lives as this couple had and who loved each other as deeply as this couple did. "I know, Darling. And even if you had loved him, or anything else, it wouldn't change the love that we have for each other."

She gave him a grateful smile, "thank you." Della now tucked her head under his chin, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Perry gave her a reassuring squeeze and kissed the top of her head. He knew she'd held this in for a very long time and that it was hard for her to finally face it. He simply held her until she was ready.

"In the beginning Michael was all charm and good looks. He was fun to be with and had a great personality. Then, overtime, he started becoming more and more possessive and controlling. He would get angry if I went out with my friends when he was home from school. Michael told me he expected me to be with him and no one else. He would even get upset if I wanted to stay home and spend time with my family instead of going out with him. If he saw another boy looking at me he would become irate and accuse me of trying to attract attention. He told me that I enjoyed being looked at. That evolved into him accusing me of sleeping around on him while he was away at school."

Her voice broke and she looked up at Perry as tears formed in her eyes. "I wouldn't even have sex with him because I told him I wasn't ready. Yet he still managed to convince himself that I was having sex with anything and everything that walked by."

Della's tears began to fall and Perry pulled her back tightly against him. "Shh, it's okay Della. I'm here. You just take your time and get it all out. You won't feel better until you do."

Slowly, she began again. "Things kept getting progressively worse. Especially when I told him that when we got married I still wanted to go to school and work for a while."

"I assume he didn't take to that very well?" he asked her.

Della laughed humorlessly. "Let's just say that Tony comes by his temper honestly. Only Michael's was worse," she sighed, "much worse." She could tell by the grip Perry had on her that he was upset.

"Della, did he…?" Perry couldn't even finish the thought.

"He didn't beat me or really hurt me. But he would slap me around and grab my arms and shake me; leaving a few bruises. At first, he was extremely apologetic about it and would beg me to forgive him. Eventually, though, he began to tell me that if I was going to stand up against him that I should expect things like that to happen. But no, he never…"

Perry couldn't remain quiet any longer. How dare someone put a finger on her! "Damn it, Della, that was enough," he half shouted as he pulled her even more tightly to him. "I can't begin to imagine… if it had continued… if you had married him…"

"I know," she whispered, "I know." Della looked up at him and pressed her lips firmly to his. "But I didn't let it continue. I got out of the situation. I went to school just like I'd planned too. I worked and lived on my own just like I'd planned too. And then I met and fell in love with the most remarkable, most wonderful, most loving…" her voice caught and she bit her bottom lip as her tears became sobs. Della looked down. She was unable to face him any longer.

"I'm … so sorry… so very, very sorry. I should have told you all of this long, long ago. Maybe things could have been different between us. I had always downplayed the effects my relationship with Michael had on me and my feelings about marriage. I believed myself when I said it was unimportant and didn't make a difference. But today my conscious and my sub-conscious ran smack into one another and I realized how real my fears of being controlled and of being 'owned' were."

She paused and looked deeply into his eyes. Della needed to make sure he knew the import of her words and that they were real. "And then I realized that, like I said earlier, you have owned me, all of me, for a very long time. Not in a sick, possessive way like Michael, but in a way that has been full of love, and support, and encouragement, and respect. What you have of me was never because you demanded it but it was because I gave it to you; happily. And you gave me the same in return. You have always challenged me to be my absolute best and you have given me every opportunity to do so…" Her voice drifted off in a sigh. A long moment of silence passed before she lifted her lips to his and he met her in a light, lingering kiss. Della gently stroked the side of his face. "I love you, Perry Mason, and our relationship, with all of its ups and downs, has been nothing but beautiful from the very first day."

Perry held her tightly and kissed her forehead. He was in wonder of this incredible woman. Now, more than ever, he tried to figure out what he'd done to deserve her. She was the most amazing person he'd ever known. Perry gently rubbed his hand up and down her back which, he realized for the first time, was clad in a black, silk robe.

His mind wandered back to a few months ago when they had dealt with his past; had dealt with Laura. And the insecurities and fears Della had had because of her. Today they had dealt with her past; had dealt with Michael. "Della," he whispered softly, "don't you think it's time we remove the ghosts of our pasts from our lives and focus on the two people our relationship is supposed to be about; you and me?"

"Yes, I do." she agreed softly.

Perry pulled her up to face him and took her chin in his hand. "I love you, Della Street, now, come here." Perry kissed her with a passion and a sense of emotion that surprised them both. Della closed her eyes and leaned her head back as his mouth made a warm, moist trail down her neck that caused her to tremble and her stomach to clench. She snaked her tongue along the outline of his ear and heard the hiss of his indrawn breath as she took the lobe into her mouth and nibbled gently.

They stayed that way for a long time. Each of them giving and taking just as they had always done. Perry inhaled the scent of her and his head began to swim. He ran one of his hands through her hair to hold the back of her head as their tongues danced over one another. Lovingly, but firmly, he allowed his other hand to move in sweeps across her body from under her arm, down her hip, and over the swell of her bottom all the way to her knee and back again. Della sighed in absolute delight, "that feels wonderful."

She then placed a finger on his lips and slowly outlined them before trailing it down his throat to the portion of his chest left exposed by his open collar. Perry leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He focused on the warmth of her touch. "Della," he breathed, "you don't know what you're doing to me."

Slowly, she stood in front of him and gave him a demure smile. A smile he nearly missed, so provocative was the look in her eyes. "Oh, yes I do, Counselor."

He watched helplessly as her fingers toyed with the sash on her robe. Della held his gaze as she slowly and deliberately pulled the sash, encouraging the robe to fall open.

Perry Mason thought for sure he was going to die at that very moment and he couldn't think of a more pleasurable way to go. His lungs refused to take in air. His heart beat ferociously. And the seductive look on her face made him feel dizzy and witless. All he could do was stare at her as his own body throbbed with his desire. He was intoxicated by her.

Della stood before him, warmth flooding her body, as his heated gaze raked over her body.

Finally, Perry managed to croak, "It's a good thing…," he cleared his throat in an attempt at a more normal voice. "It's a good thing, Miss Street, that I was too distracted earlier to notice what wasn't beneath this robe, or we would have never made it through our little discussion.

Della released a deep, throaty chuckle that sent chills through him. Perry couldn't take it anymore. He reached up and put his hands on her shoulders; gently pushing the robe downward. Della allowed it to slip the remainder of the way down her arms. The silk material pooled around her feet. Perry then placed a hand on each of her hips and pulled her closer, effectively closing the gap between them. Della gasped as warm lips began moving over the smooth, bare skin of her stomach. Strong hands roamed over her body, stroking her, touching her.

Della held his head close to her as her entire body trembled with need. Her pleasured moans and whimpers filled the room.

Perry whispered against her silken flesh, "my God, Della." Raising his head, he looked at her and trailed his fingers across her cheek. "You are so beautiful." There was a sense of wonder and awe in his voice. "You still take my breath away."

"And you still make me weak." Della reached out and took his arm, helping him to his feet. "Perry, take me to bed."

He looked at her and smiled. "What about the doctor's orders?"

Della laughed as well. Allowing her voice to take on a low, seductive quality, she replied, "Why don't you let me worry about that, Counselor?"

Perry Mason was no man's fool. He knew when to sit back and let someone else take care of things. And there was no doubt in his mind that Della Street knew exactly how to take very good care of him.

Much, much later, Della allowed her spent body to collapse on top of his. They held tightly to each other as the stars began to fade and their breathing began to slow. "Della… you… you were… incredible."

"You weren't too bad yourself, Mr. Mason," she chuckled.

Gently he rolled them both to their sides. He heard her whimper at the loss of contact between the two of them and kissed her in an attempt to make up for it. "In a couple of weeks, I hope to be taking a more, uh, active role again."

Her lips were still but an inch from his. "In case you didn't notice, Counselor, you were plenty active for me." Della kissed him deeply. When they parted she grew silent. She had felt a new freedom in the way she responded to him tonight. A new freedom in her love for him. Throughout her ecstasy she had thought about what Perry had said about walking away from the ghosts of their pasts and focusing on the two of them.

"Perry, did you mean what you said earlier about letting go and just focusing on you and me?"

His arms tightened around her. "Miss Street, have you ever known me to say something I didn't mean?"

She smiled as she snuggled against his chest, "no." Della came to a decision right then. It had been a long time since they had talked about this and she wasn't sure if it was still what he wanted. But she now knew what she wanted, what she needed, and she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't at least try. Della pressed her forehead to his as her long, tapered fingers ran through his graying chest hairs. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "Will you marry me, Perry Mason?"

Perry abruptly pulled back to look at her. "Are you being serious, Della? Are you sure?"

"Counselor," she said teasingly, "have you ever known me to say something I didn't mean?"

He simply smiled at her. "It would be my distinct pleasure to be your husband, Darling." Perry pulled her back into his arms and poured his love for her into his kiss. Later that night, as Della slept in his arms, Perry was completely content in the fact that he finally had everything he'd always wanted.

After Tony is acquitted and Paul leaved with Miranda…

Perry wrapped his arm around his Della's shoulders as she moved to be closer to him. "Well, I guess that leaves just you and me."

"You can say that again," Della replied confidently.

"Just you and me," he repeated lovingly.

Della looked up at him and they smiled at each other before she tucked her head under his chin. She was completely happy and at home wrapped securely in Perry's arms.


End file.
